The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced Tuesday it is offering eligible faculty and staff a voluntary retirement buyout with a one-time payment equal to 50% of an employee's annual base salary.

UW-Oshkosh becomes the third campus within the UW System to offer buyouts in an effort to reduce its workforce in the face of state budget cuts. UW-Eau Claire was the first, followed last week by UW-Superior.

UW-Oshkosh expects about 100 employees would be eligible. It has set a goal of reducing its workforce by 80 within the next three years.(118)

Draft Profile: Oregon State WR Wheaton fits Packers mold

Indianapolis --- There was a quiet calm before the storm. As Markus Wheaton and D'Anthony Thomas warmed up before for the 100-meter dash last May, they barely said a word to each other. But this race was at Oregon. And it did feature two of the most dynamic weapons in college football.

They weren't just in the same heat. They were lined up side by side.

As Oregon State's Wheaton stepped up to the starting block, cheers for Thomas rained down.

"Everybody’s cheering and going crazy for him," Wheaton said.

Wheaton had an awful start out of the blocks, caught up to Thomas at about the 60-meter mark and then earned personal bragging rights. Wheaton took second at 10:58, Thomas third at 10:65. The Ducks currently own the Beavers on the football field. But for one day, anyways, Wheaton proved to be faster than the highlight-machine Thomas.

As discussed back at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, this year's NFL draft may be an opportunity for general manager Ted Thompson to take another wide receiver early, to give Aaron Rodgers another weapon. Although the team is high on Jarrett Boykin, this is an offense that leans on multiple receivers. In many respects, Wheaton is the type of receiver the Packers covet.

He's soft spoken. He runs crisp routes with a striking, sudden quickness. And he can get separation. Wheaton did meet with the Packers and says he got "a good vibe."

At the NFL scouting combine, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound Wheaton finished 10th at his position in the 40, (4.45 seconds), but finished fourth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.02), second in the 60-yard shuttle (11.16) and third in the bench press (20 reps at 225). Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jordy Nelson are all similar, pound-for-pound receivers.

Wheaton began running track at 6 years old. Through time, he transferred that quickness to the football field -- something many Combine stars haven't accomplished.

“You get a lot of guys who run 10.3 on the track but they go on the football field and they don’t look fast at all," said Wheaton in an interview before the Combine. "So it’s a challenge transferring it to the football field and I think I do that well.”

Wheaton won the 400- and 800-meter races at junior national track meets and also competed in the 100 and 200 at states. Into college, he continued running track on the side. The obvious knock on Wheaton is a lack of size. At Oregon State, his smaller stature didn't affect him. Last season, Wheaton caught 91 passes for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, in this year's draft class, there are more physically imposing options available.

Wheaton may project best in the slot. One pro receiver he kept an eye on last year was Indianapolis Colts rookie T.Y. Hilton.

"You can’t play a slot guy like you would a guy on the outside," Wheaton said. "You have a lot more room in the slot to release. You have a lot more room to work. Obviously, there’s a lot more obstacles in the slot. There are linebackers and safeties and all that stuff. I feel like the slot guy has a lot of options.”

Wheaton also doesn't buy the notion that smaller receivers are more susceptible to injuries.

“I think the bigger guys, the more physical guys," he said, "I’m starting to see injuries in those guys a little bit more just because they’re so physical and they’re taking hits and stuff like that. Smaller guys like me, we don’t take as many hits. So we’re not injured as much. I think that will help my case a little bit.”

If Greg Jennings leaves in free agency, Green Bay may feel perfectly content with Boykin and Jeremy Ross on the depth chart. Further, a bigger receiver to complement the group may also be more appealing to coaches. There's still two months to go.

In the meantime, there won't be much self-promotion from Wheaton. He didn't drop any one-liners at Lucas Oil Stadium. Whereas Tavon Austin declared himself the "all-around best player" in the draft and Quinton Patton called himself the best receiver, Wheaton stayed quiet.

Kind of like that day at Hayward Field. After beating Thomas, Wheaton didn't break character.

“Yeah," Wheaton said, "just let the finish speak for itself.”

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.